ID HJM009

All runs of Idaho's wild Steelhead were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1997, with external factors outside Idaho contributing to their decline despite collaborative habitat restoration efforts.

Idaho submitted its Fisheries Management and Evaluation Plan to NOAA in 2010 for permit renewal, but NOAA has not processed it in nine years, placing Idaho's fisheries out of legal compliance.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game suspended the Steelhead fishing season on December 7, 2018, under threat of federal lawsuit, though a conditional agreement forestalled full closure until March 15, 2019 or permit completion.

The Legislature urges NOAA and the National Marine Fishery Service to expedite completion of the Incidental Take Permit required for lawful operation of Idaho's Steelhead fishing season.

The Legislature also urges NOAA to process future Fisheries Management and Evaluation Plans within timeframes that maintain the state's legal compliance and protect Idaho's Steelhead fisheries operations and related economic activities.